Comtesse Spirit

Everything that deserves to be done, deserves to be done well As Yvette Lacroix-Dubarry used to say. That still applies to our 170 000 loyal customer strong company today.

Our values

South West, our terroir of expression

The South West of France has been a source of inspiration to CDB for over a 100 years, with its roots firmly anchored in this land of plenty reaching from the Gers to the Poitou Charentes, and the Landes to the Languedoc Roussillon: ‘Made in Anywhere’ is not an option for CDB, its gastronomical treasure trove is entirely ’Made In the South West’. The more the Comtesse travels the Globe to bring new exciting gourmet taste experiences to her fare, the more she realizes ‘there’s no place like home’, for it is those very roots which allow her to venture even further into the world of culinary creativity.

Our ducks are well bred with great dedication

They are free range and hand fed on whole maize grain in strict compliance with rigorous specifications concerning the choice of ingredients (all colouring and preservative free) and ongoing quality control…….. Comtesse du Barry has equally strict requirements when it comes to raising its geese, salmon and sturgeons. Comtesse du Barry has achieved a high, rarely equaled, level of excellence thanks to its respect for tradition and its capacity to add that modern touch to its fare. Perfection! After all, a Countess would expect nothing less.

Our chefs’ spirit of creativity has always been and always will be our best asset

Creativity, always and forever creativity. While remaining attached to the South West and its culinary traditions Comtesse du Barry is constantly seeking out novel tastes and flavours. Attentive to the local as well as the more exotic tastes and palates and to today’s as well as tomorrow’s tastes and palates, Comtesse knows how to revisit her classics like no other, outreaching herself, and enhancing her traditional recipes with original and tasty blends of ingredients, thus guaranteeing a thrilling culinary experience each time.

We firmly believe that home-made is best

Just close your eyes and let yourself be carried away by Comtesse du Barry’s dishes; excellent dishes which have always upheld local tradition, followed the seasons and which have always been hand crafted in our Gimont kitchens, according to traditional methods. High standards, passion and taking the time to do things slowly, are the pillars of attaining quality, so high, that it verges on sheer bliss. In French the terms ‘home made’ and ‘slow food’ are embodied by the name ‘Comtesse du Barry’.

Comtesse du Barry’s both vivacious and exciting dishes lend a touch of nobility to any plate

From her semi cooked foie gras with black truffle to her famous refined picnics, the Comtesse really enjoys celebrating and sharing her dishes with others. China crockery and brocade cloth go hand in hand as do the art of cookery and the art of entertaining. The latter being the art of combining elegance, refinement, a relaxed atmosphere and Comtesse du Barry’s secret ingredient: ‘la joie de vivre’. If we are what we eat, then let us enjoy the Comtesse’s fare to our fill.

Our Know How

Over a hundred years of quality fare

We have, over more than 100 years, earned ourselves the reputation of being one of the most representative of modern French gastronomy due to our intransigence regarding the quality of our fare. All the ingredients that go into our dishes are rigorously selected with the greatest of care. We have been awarded many medals at the Agricultural Show in Paris we have also won awards at the SISQA (International Food Quality Show) and the SIAL (The French Agro foodstuff Show).

An ongoing spirit of innovation

From the very beginning, as early as in 1908, when its founder, a tinsmith, started canning, Comtesse has always had that spirit of innovation. Our invention, the ‘block of foie gras’ is proof of this. Created in 1954, thanks to this revolutionary recipe the consumption of ‘foie gras really took off. Ever since those times Comtesse has always striven to keep up to date. It is forever inventing new recipes to cater for the latest trends in consumption.

A regional foothold with an integrated approach

Since 2011 Comtesse du Barry has been part of the Maïsadour co-operative group, which is, due to its local activities, one of the main actors in the South West of France. Backed by this local economic strength Comtesse du Barry can perpetuate its know-how, its spirit of innovation and deploy them worldwide.

Comtesse
and yourself

A consumer service driven brand

Comtesse du Barry’s extensive network of distribution: fairs, mail order and a wide network of retail outlets enable it to take consumers on a journey through its culinary universe and discover a myriad of real new taste experiences along the way. Thanks to its deep consumer insight, its consumer driven mindset and its shrewd knowledge of the modern consumers’ needs, Comtesse is in direct communication with consumers and has therefore become master in the art of wowing them.

Today Comtesse which still sells through mail order has developed and sells through a state of the art web site. It is also committed to multiplying the points of contact with its target audience.

Retailing

It is also our belief that in the face of an ever growing global society and economy Comtesse du Barry needs to have niche markets and has set up small select retail outlets within department stores (Galeries Lafayette Gourmet, Monoprix) and in airports while it has also been widening its activity on the international scene.

If you wish to represent our values, French gastronomy and the French art of living overseas? Please get in touch with us.